UK, US SPLIT OVER COLOMBIA DRUG WAR

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - A split emerged Wednesday between Britain and the
United States over the anti-drug war in Colombia, with a top British
official criticizing the Clinton administration for pumping in military aid
despite human rights violations.

British Cabinet Minister Mo Mowlam, one of the architects of the Northern
Ireland peace accords, also voiced opposition to the widespread use of
herbicides on drug crops - a major component of the U.S.-backed strategy.

The statements reveal that opposition to the U.S.-backed military offensive
stretches across the Atlantic. Neighboring Latin American countries already
have expressed fears that the war on drugs will further destabilize the
region. Colombian human rights groups have refused to accept U.S. aid as
part of the plan, which they believe spends too much on the military and
not enough on social programs.

Mowlam said Britain - and most of Europe - are withholding large amounts of
aid in the anti-drug war unless Colombian security forces undergo further
reforms.

Mowlam said she stressed that point in meetings this week with President
Andres Pastrana and his military commanders.

"We forcibly underlined the importance of human rights to Europe, and to
seeing any money," Mowlam said Wednesday at a breakfast with a dozen
journalists at the British ambassador's residence.

European countries "across the board" decided at a conference in Madrid,
Spain, in July to withhold substantial funds until more progress is made in
human rights, Mowlam said.

Colombia had hoped to secure billions of dollars for its anti-drug campaign
from conference participants. But only two European countries - Spain and
Norway - pledged a total of $120 million.

The United States, meanwhile, is delivering $1.3 billion in mostly military
aid. Clinton signed a waiver last month authorizing release of the aid even
though Colombia fell short of meeting human rights requirements imposed by
the U.S. Congress.

"I think it was unfortunate, to say the least," Mowlam said.

Jaime Ruiz, special adviser to Pastrana, said in a telephone interview that
unless European nations contribute more money, Colombia will be
hard-pressed to provide alternative development and other social programs
while the drug war intensifies.

"In order to do what (Mowlam) wants, and what Europe wants and what we
want, we need to have the funds," Ruiz said. "In 15 years we haven't had
any real money from Europe -- just a few million dollars."

Ruiz acknowledged human rights abuses persist but said there have been
improvements, noted by Mowlam herself.

There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials, but Clinton said last
month that one reason he signed the waiver was Pastrana's commitment to
protecting human rights. He noted that Pastrana has called for changes that
will permit civil trials for allegations of military abuses of human rights.

Although Colombia falls far short of international human rights standards,
Mowlam said the country is taking steps in the right direction, citing the
removal of several military commanders linked to abuses and the growing
number of arrests of members of paramilitary death squads.

"I think (Colombians) are moving along the road and have just started to
make progress," Mowlam said, adding that if the trend continues, Britain
would be inclined to vote to give Colombia funds from the European Commission.

Under the U.S. aid package, Colombian soldiers trained by elite U.S. troops
are to fly into drug-producing regions aboard U.S.-supplied combat
helicopters and take control of them from the rebels so that low-flying
planes can spray the drug crops with herbicide.

Mowlam criticized the spraying, saying it would be acceptable to Britain
only if vast drug plantations were targeted, and if no one lived near them.

The United States has energetically backed the spraying campaign - often by
Americans contracted by the State Department - which targets small farmers'
drug plots as well as large plantations.

On Tuesday, the local chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration,
Leo Arreguin, observed as a crop duster sprayed loads of herbicide on small
coca plantations in the jungles of southwest Colombia as helicopter
gunships provided protection. Villages and food crops stood only about 300
feet away.

Mowlam said Britain wants spraying missions to be monitored, and opposes
employing biological agents the United States has urged Colombia to use.
Only glyphosate, the herbicide now used in Colombia, should be allowed,
Mowlam said.